The rise of the poor

Chapter 2082 Zhu Ping'an's Dilemma

"Your Excellency the Governor is right. Pretending to be defeated is indeed a bit abrupt. If the feigned defeat fails, how about hiding and ambushing?"

After listening to Zhang Jing's words, Zhu Ping'an nodded slightly, and then proposed to use the Zhejiang army as an ambush.

Zhang Jing shook his head upon hearing this. "No, as the saying goes, every failure makes one wiser. After the disastrous defeat in northern Zhejiang, the Japanese pirates will certainly closely monitor the whereabouts of your Zhejiang army, just like they monitor the wolf soldiers, with many spies and eyes. It will be even more difficult for your Zhejiang army to ambush. Once the Japanese pirates discover your whereabouts, it will alert the enemy and affect the overall situation."

Feigning defeat and setting up an ambush would not work. Zhu Ping'an could not think of any other solution for a moment. He could only smile bitterly and shook his head, "Governor, I can't think of a way to dispel the concerns of the Japanese pirates in Takulin. Please give me some advice, Governor."

"This is the important task I want to give you." Zhang Jing said with a smile.

Hearing Zhang Jing bring up the topic here, Zhu Ping'an immediately realized that the important task Zhang Jing was about to entrust to him must be extraordinary, otherwise Zhang Jing would not have spent so much time and effort laying the groundwork.

"Please give the order, Governor General. No matter it is a sea of ​​fire or a hail of arrows, the Zhejiang Army will not hesitate."

Zhu Ping'an bowed and asked for the order.

"Good! If everyone is like Zihou, there is no need to worry about the Japanese pirates." Zhang Jing nodded with satisfaction.

Hearing Zhang Jing's praise, Zhu Ping'an silently raised the difficulty of the task by a few stars.

"Zhu Ping'an, Right Vice Minister of the Nanjing Ministry of War and Governor of Zhejiang, accept the order!" Zhang Jing said with a serious face.

"Please give orders, Governor!" Zhu Ping'an stood up.

"Order the Right Vice Minister of Nanjing's Ministry of War and the Governor of Zhejiang, Zhu Ping'an, to return to Shaoxing the next day, select 8,000 Zhejiang troops, swear an oath of allegiance in the city, and then march to Ningbo to clear out the Japanese pirate Wang Zhi's strongholds along the coast and monitor the Japanese pirates in Ligang. There must be no mistakes!"

Zhang Jing's voice echoed in the room, like a military drum beating on a silent battlefield, which was terrifying.

"what?"

Zhu Ping'an exclaimed in disbelief.

What? Order me to mobilize 8,000 Zhejiang troops to Ningbo to clear out Wang Zhi's coastal strongholds and monitor the Japanese pirates in Ligang?!

Oh my god! For a moment, Zhu Ping'an couldn't believe his ears and wondered if he was hallucinating.

When the great victory of Wangjiangjing was about to begin, Zhang Jing went to Ningbo alone. Not only could he not participate in the great victory of Wangjiangjing, but he also ignited the war with Wang Zhi and the Japanese pirates! Directly confront Wang Zhi and the Japanese pirates!

Compared with the Wang Zhi pirates in Ligang, the Xu Hai pirates in Tuolin are just a little brother! Whether in terms of the number of pirates, combat power, or equipment, the Xu Hai pirates are far inferior to the Wang Zhi pirates.

Zhang Jing and his men mobilized the entire Jiangnan region, and also brought in Shandong spearmen and Guangxi wolf soldiers, to lure Xu Hai and the Japanese pirates to attack Jiaxing, encircle them, and join forces to fight.

But, he was allowed to lead 8,000 Zhejiang troops to openly push down Wang Zhi's Japanese pirates' coastal stronghold in Ningbo and fight against Wang Zhi's Japanese pirates head-on? !

Before sending out troops, they had to take an oath in the city. Isn't this a blatant declaration to the world that they were going to Ningbo to clear out Wang Zhi's coastal strongholds? Before they finished taking the oath, Wang Zhi's spies in the city would bring the news back to Wang Zhi.

So, the credit is yours, but the risk is mine?!

If the person in front of him was not Zhang Jing but Yan Shifan, Zhu Ping'an would be able to understand why he was given this order.

I didn't offend Zhang Jing.

Zhu Ping'an thought for a long time but still couldn't figure out why Zhang Jing gave him such an order.

"Zihou, I know you found it hard to believe for a moment when you heard this order, but you heard it right. This is the task I assigned to you." Zhang Jing looked at Zhu Ping'an seriously and said word by word.

"Please forgive me, Governor." Zhu Ping'an smiled bitterly. "Do I have to accept this order? It's not that I'm afraid of fighting, but the Zhejiang Army is not ready to fight against Wang Zhi and the Japanese pirates. First, the newly recruited Zhejiang Army has only been training for more than a month, and it is not enough to fight in the battlefield; second, the military supplies are insufficient. In the ambush of Xu Hai and the Japanese pirates in northern Zhejiang, our Zhejiang Army's stock of gunpowder was almost exhausted. Currently, there is less than 20% of the gunpowder left, and the firearms have been damaged by as much as 30%. The forging speed cannot keep up. Our Zhejiang Army relies heavily on gunpowder and firearms. Without gunpowder and firearms, our Zhejiang Army's combat effectiveness will be greatly reduced; third, Wang Zhi and the Japanese pirates are numerous and powerful. It is difficult for our Zhejiang Army to compete with them on its own."

"Zihou, I know your difficulties, but you have to accept this order." Zhang Jing nodded and insisted.

You have to accept it.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Ping'an couldn't help but frown. The Zhejiang army was not yet ready to go to war with Wang Zhi and the Japanese pirates.

It’s true. Whether in terms of personnel or military supplies, Zhu Ping’an was not prepared to go to war with Wang Zhi and the Japanese pirates.

At this time, an order was received to march out to Shaoxing City to clear out Wang Zhi's strongholds along the coast. This move was almost equivalent to declaring war on Wang Zhi and the Japanese pirates.

You cleared out his coastal strongholds, and he could just watch you take out his strongholds?! How could he not fight back?!

Isn't this equivalent to starting a war? !

However, the 10,000 new Zhejiang Army soldiers had only been recruited and trained for a month, so they were not yet an organized army and were not capable of fighting in a battle.

If the Zhejiang Army could not withstand the counterattack and retaliation of Wang Zhi and the Japanese pirates, the common people would be the ones who would be hurt in the end.

"Zihou, the Japanese pirates led by Xu Hai are afraid of your Zhejiang army and are worried. If we don't dispel their worries, it will be difficult to lure them to Jiaxing to encircle and annihilate them. How to dispel their worries? If you, Zihou, lead the Zhejiang army to swear an oath in Shaoxing and send troops to Ningbo to clear out the coastal strongholds of the Japanese pirates led by Wang Zhi in Ningbo, and fight with the Japanese pirates led by Wang Zhi and are too busy to deal with them, then the Japanese pirates led by Tuolin and Xu Hai will not have to worry about your Zhejiang army dealing with them, and they can attack Jiaxing without any worries." Zhang Jing explained slowly.

What Zhang Jing said makes sense. Aren't you, Xu Hai and the Japanese pirates, worried that the Zhejiang Army will mobilize troops to deal with you? !

What if the Zhejiang Army went to war with Wang Zhi and the Japanese pirates? !

Wang Zhi's gang of Japanese pirates had many soldiers and generals, and the pirates under his command were experienced in many battles. The Zhejiang Army was far less powerful than Wang Zhi, and had so many new recruits. Once they started fighting with Wang Zhi's gang of Japanese pirates, they would inevitably be unable to split their forces and would be dragged on the battlefield in Ningbo, unable to dispatch troops to deal with Xu Hai's gang of Japanese pirates.

In this way, Xu Hai and other Japanese pirates would not have to worry about the Zhejiang army.

Yes, this would relieve Xu Hai from his fear of the Zhejiang Army and his worries.

But what about me, the Zhejiang army, and the people of Zhejiang? If I go to Ningbo to eliminate the coastal strongholds of Wang Zhi and the Japanese pirates, and start a war with them, how will it end?

If the Zhejiang army cannot resist the revenge of Wang Zhi and the Japanese pirates, the people of Ningbo or southern Zhejiang will suffer.

Therefore, after Zhang Jing issued the order, Zhu Ping'an felt very embarrassed and was unable to accept Zhang Jing's order. (End of this chapter)